Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer(征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the united kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work , forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived(复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish song which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.What does the author tell us in paragraph 1?
| A．How the Irish fought against the English. |
| B．How Ireland gained independence. |
| C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
| D．How two “Irelands” came into being. |
We learn from the text that in Ireland .
| A．food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
| B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
| C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
| D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
The last paragraph is mainly about .
| A．the Irish character |
| B．Irish culture |
| C．Irish musical instruments |
| D．a famous Irish writer |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Life in Ireland |
| B．A Very Difficult History |
| C．Ireland, Past and Present |
| D．The Independence of Ireland |
There’s been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China’s urban vernacular（土话）—green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane（车道）, and explore new ways of living “green”.
Living green doesn’t mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China’s big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan （about US $700）.
The life of a green collar may go something like this; Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help the underprivileged.
Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a “be happy, healthy and helpful” spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief（摆脱贫困）projects in China.
“They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it.” said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Differences between white-and-blue collars and green collars. |
| B．The increasing awareness of environmental protection. |
| C．New trends of life in China’s big cities. |
| D．The lifestyle of green collars. |
Green collars will after work.
| A．prefer to be left alone |
| B．have fun with old friends |
| C．think nothing about work and more |
| D．do a lot of extra work at home |
What ’s Zuo Shiguang’s attitude towards green collars?
| A．Appreciative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Neutral. |
The underlined part “the underprivileged” probably refers to those who are .
| A．in heavy polluted areas | B．in faraway places |
| C．in a poor state of education | D．in unfavourable conditions |
Dear Sirs，
Your shipment(装运)of twelve thousand“Smart”watches was received by our company this morning．However，we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our instructions．
It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks. While we appreciate that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable．We must point out that the major reason why the order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you that your existing stocks ensure immediate shipment．Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers．and is sure to have a negative effect on future orders．
The second complaint concerns the difference in colour．Only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours we ordered．Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions．Since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours．Any watches that are not of the specified colours will , of course, be returned to you．
We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received．since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been made to a lower standard than those in the sample．We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning．We should like to point out that we feel this matter to be entirely your responsibility．
As a result of the above problems，therefore，we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory，and to deduct(扣除)any costs from our final settlement．We shall also be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.
We look forward to your immediate reply．
Yours sincerely，
John SmithHow many complaints does John Smith make with the“Smart”watch producer?
| A．Five． | B．Four． | C．Three． | D．Two． |
The producer of“Smart”watches were given the order because_________
| A．they produced the best watches of its kind in the world |
| B．the watches would be easy to make and the designs were already prepared |
| C．they promised they could produce enough stocks quite quickly |
| D．they claimed the order would be easy since the watches were already in stock |
Receiving watches in the wrong colours is a problem because_______
| A．the Hong Kong agent stressed the need to fulfill the order exactly |
| B．these watches will be difficult to sell． |
| C． these watches will not be able to get into the limited market |
| D．people will not buy the watches at present |
LONDON (AP) — England joins on Sunday the growing list of places that ban smoking in public buildings, taxis and other places including even Buckingham Palace with a tough law.
Pubs, clubs and restaurants will all be smoke-free. Taxi and delivery drivers have been warned that they too could be fined 50 pounds, or about $100, if caught lighting up inside work vehicles.
Experts say the bans have become an irreversible (不可逆转的) tread because of greatly rising health costs and public uneasiness over second-hand smoke. Some of the strictest smoking bans are in the United States, even though there is no federal anti-smoking policy. New York and Florida have strict bans, while California has certain outdoor smoking bans.
Spain, Italy, Iran, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, South Africa, Uruguay and new Zealand have passed legislation(立法) to restrict smoking. France banned smoking in many public places in February and plans to extend the ban to cafes and restaurants next year. Finland is introducing a ban in 2009.
Despite the spread of bans, the World Health Organization predicts a steady rise in tobacco sales. In its Tobacco Atlas, the WHO said that by 2030 there will be “at least another two billion smokers in the world” and an expected decrease in male smokers “will be offset by an increase in female smoking rates, especially in developing countries.”
In advance of the English ban, anti-smoking ads have coated bus stops and the British government has subsidized(资助) programs to help people quit. The rest of Britain—Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland —already have smoking bans in place.The first two paragraphs mainly tell us_______
| A．Buckingham Palace bans smoking |
| B．smoking ban comes into force in England |
| C．there’s no smoking in Buckingham Palace |
| D．smoking is against the law in England |
Which of the following places may still be smoking areas in England?
| A．Private houses | B．Taxis. |
| C．Restaurants. | D．London clubs |
The underlined word “offset” in paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
| A．decreased | B．raised | C．encouraged | D．balanced |
What do we know from the passage?
| A．Smoking has strictly been forbidden in cafes in France. |
| B．There is an extremely strict smoking ban everywhere in America. |
| C．Smoking situation is still serious across the world. |
| D．Related ads didn’t appear in England until the English ban was lifted.（解除） |
Do your children always sit still and watch TV? If so, you should be very alert!
Nowadays, children watch television for long hours. They often spend evenings watching their favorite programs on TV. Sometimes they might stay up late to watch TV. Their addiction to television results in their not having time to play or do exercise. They should go outside with friends or spend time reading books. Moreover, watching television too much is harmful to their eyesight.
Researchers claim that attention deficit disorders in children are a result of watching too much television. They say that watching television leads to a developmental disorder in the part of the brain which is responsible for language skills. Children who watch television more and read less have greater difficulty paying attention and concentrating. Children that spend long hours watching television are more likely to be affected by attention deficit disorders.
Television is one form of media which is used to show all kinds of products. Watching too much television can lead to early exposure to a wide variety of things. Television advertisements may cause children to behave incorrectly or damage themselves. Advertisements about fast food, cold drinks or other such products that are not good for children’s health can have a bad effect on them. Some TV shows and films also affect how children think and behave.
Studies in psychology have shown that certain programs can have a long-lasting effect on children’s minds. Horror scenes and other frightening shows can have a negative effect on the minds of children watching them.
Television is a means of recreation but watching it too often is harmful to children’s physical and mental health. You need to help you children deep a balance of everything in life.The underlined word “deficit ” in the third paragraph most probably means _____.
| A．need | B．habit | C．fear | D．lack |
It’s implied in the last paragraph that you should ______.
| A．decide on when children can watch television |
| B．give children more time to play |
| C．help you children balance everyday life |
| D．stop you children from watching TV |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The bad effects watching TV has on children. |
| B．How many hours children should spend watching TV. |
| C．How advertisements affect children’s behavior. |
| D．What scenes children should not watch on TV. |
Which of the following are the effects of watching too much TV according to the passage?
a. causing children to have less time to read good books.
b. making children behave improperly
c. harming children’s eyesight
d. affecting the parent-child relationship
| A．a, b, d | B．b, c, d | C．a, b, c | D．a, c, d |
It's not just adults who have a thing or two to discuss with other people, babies too have their own social lives and enjoy group interaction, according to a world-first study.
The breakthrough study conducted by psychologist Professor Ben Bradley, at Charles Sturt University, could completely transform the way child-care centers are set up. In their study, the researchers examined groups of nine-month-old babies in new South Wales and Britain.
And they came across astonishing results—it was found that infants had “social brains” and focused not just on their mothers but on social 1ife in groups as well,
“They communicate with more than one baby at once，and show jealousy and generousness，”said Professor Bradley．
He added，“They develop their own meanings through group interaction，they notice if a group member is behaving differently and they take on roles，such as leaders and followers．”
“A baby who has a depressed mother tends to be withdrawn(内向的)，but put that same baby in a group of its peers(同龄人)and they behave and interact like any other baby．”
It was the first all-baby group study ever to be conducted．“Most studies of babies concentrate on the infant-mother relationship，assuming that is the single foundation for mental health．but babies are constantly involved with groups of people other than their mothers：fathers，siblings，grandparents and those taking care．Therefore。the ‘mother-baby approach’ needs to be combined with a‘ group approach’．”said Bradley．
Phoebe Christison ，a child-care worker at Camperdown Sunshine Bubs in Sydney’s inner west．said she often noticed what appeared．to be emotional attachments developed between toddlers．
She said，“Joel(10 months)and Isabella (11months)always like to hold hands when they sit in their high chairs and eat．And babies definitely show jealousy．They push and touch each other，and copy what the other is doing．”A baby who has a depressed mother ____ ．
| A．tends to be a follower |
| B．also enjoys group interaction |
| C．has poor social ability |
| D．pays more attention to its mother |
What can be inferred from the result of this study?
| A．Babies are affected by groups more than by their mothers． |
| B．There’s no need of child-care centers at a11． |
| C． Adults should include babies when having social activities． |
| D．The normal infant-mother bond alone isn’t enough for the good mental health for babies． |
The underlined word “toddlers” in Para．8 can be replaced by_________
| A．adults | B．infants | C．peers | D．groups |
The example given in the last paragraph proves that a baby________ .
| A．is born to be friendly to other babies |
| B．has interest in peers as well as in its mother |
| C．may have emotional attachments to another baby |
| D．shows jealousy and generousness as an adult |
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